Rail-joint.



J. G. BALING.

RAIL JOlNT. APPLwATIoN FILED JAN,20,19M

1,1 18,620. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

3ft/wc, nto@ J. G. BALING.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.20, 1914.

WMM/Mouw `:fonia o. Barano, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAIL-JOINT.

. Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 19114.

Application `iled January 20, 1914. Serial No. 813,227.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. BALING, citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.`

This invention relates to rail joints, and has for its object the provision of a strong, durable and comparatively simple connecting means for securely uniting the abutting ends of railway rails, whereby a practically smooth continuous tread surface may be produced at the junction of the rail ends and pounding and hammering of the said rails, incident to `the passage of rolling stock thereover, reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint the construction of which is such that should any one rail in a line of track become broken or otherwise damaged, said damaged rail may be readily removed from the cross ties for repairs or renewal without disturbing the alinement of the adjacent rails.

A further object is to provide a joint which will effectually unite the abutting ends of standard rails Without the necessity of materially altering the construction thereof.

A further object is to provide means for preventing lateral spreading of the rails, and means for reinforcing said rails at the junction thereof.

A still further object .is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will apear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 a perspective view of a rail joint constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 9.-.-2 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 41: is a perspective view of the several parts comprising the rail joint detached; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention.`

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved rail joint forming thesubjectanatter of the present invention is prin cipally designed for connecting the abutting ends of adjacent rail sections, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a section of track in which 5 designates the cross ties and 6 the rails. The opposite sides of the head 7 of each rail at the inner end thereof are eut-away even with the web of the rail to form a reduced extension 8 adapted to aline with the extension of a mating rail when said rails are assembled, as best shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Spanning the rail ends at the junction thereof is a chair including a base plate 9 having oppositely disposed upstanding side pieces 10 and 11, one

of which is preferably formed integral with i the base piece 9, while the other, namely the side piece 11, is detachably secured to said base so as to permit the ready removal of any particular rail for repairs or renewal without in any wise disturbing the aline-` ment of the adjacent rails. The detachable side piece 11 of the chair is preferably provided with a depending longitudinally disposed lip 12 which bears against the upper face of the base `9 and is provided with spaced notches 13 for the reception of spikes` or similar fastening devices 14, there being corresponding spikes 15 bearing against the side piece 10 for securing the chair,together with the rails, in position on the adjacent cross tie. The cross tie 5 is preferably formed with a seating recess 1G adapted` to receive the adjacent chair so as to assist in properly alining the chairs on the cross ties, and Ialso to prevent lateral spreading of the rails. The heads 7 of the rail ends at their junction with the reduced extensions 8 `are preferably curved laterally to form shoulders 17, while the opposite ends of the side pieces 10 and 11 are correspondingly curved,

` as indicated at 18, for engagement with said shoulders. The curved faces or shoulders 17 not only serve to reinforce and strengthen the extensions 8 at their junction 4with. the rail heads 7, but in conjunction with `the curved faces 1S formin effect a lap-joint and serve to assist in preventing battering of the rail ends, as well as to reduce ounding and hammering of the rails inci ent to the passage of rolling stock thereover. The side pieces 10 and 11 are preferably of the same thickness as the cut-away portions of the heads 7 of the rails so that when vthe parts are assembled the side pieces 10 and. 11 will bear against the webs 19 of the rail ends and in which position the upper longitudinal edges 2O of the side pieces will be disposed entirely within the lines of the outer longitudinal edges of the heads 7 of the rails so as to form in effect a smooth continuous rail, and thus prevent pounding and hammering of said rails and flattening of the Car wheels- The webs 19 of the rail ends are preferably provided with elongated slots 21 which register with openings 22 formed in the side pieces 10 and 11 of the chair to permit the passage of bolts 23, the latter having their ends threaded in the usual manner for engagement with clamping nuts 2d. The opposite vends of the side pieces 10 and 11 are preferably continued longitudinally beyond the curved faces 18 to form extensions 25 which extend beneath and bear against the lower faces of the heads 7 at the shoulders 17 and serve the dual function of reinforcing the webs and heads and as a means for centering the side pieces on the rail ends.

It will here be noted that the inner face 26 of each rail end is straight and extends in a vertical plane from the base 27 of the rail tothe cut-away portion of the head thereof, so that when the rails are assembled on the cross ties, the webs will be practically continuous and thereby materially strengthen the joint. Such a construction also permits the ordinary standard rail to be employed without the necessity of materially changing the construction thereof, itbeing merely necessary to remove a portion of the opposite sides of the head of each rail at the inner end thereof to effect the union of mating rails, as will be readily understood. lt will further be noted that the inner faces 26 of the rail ends at their junction with the upper edges of the ex- `tension 8 are curved, as at 28, while the ends of the side pieces 10 and 11, as well as the curved walls or shoulders 17, are also preferably curved or beveled to assist in preventing damage to the rails by contact with the wheels of a train or locomotive.

Should one of therails become broken or otherwise damaged, it is merely necessary to withdraw the spikes 111 and release the ln Fig. 5 of the drawings, there has been illustrated a modified form of the invention, in which the longitudinal extensions 25 on the side pieces are dispensed with and the heads of the rails, instead of being formed with curved shoulders, as shown in Fig. 1, are provided with square shoulders 29. ln this form of the device, the side pieces 10 and 11v are preferably cast or otherwise formed integral with the base plate 9', and the rail ends inserted in the chair from the opposite ends thereof. When this form of joint is used, and it is desired to remove a broken rail, it is merely necessary to saw through the `side pieces at the juncture of the rails when the broken rail section may be removed from the cross tie. lNhen replacing aI broken rail, however, the sectional chair shown in Fig. 1 is preferably used.

Vhile it is preferred to position the chairs on the cross ties so that the joint will he disposed between two of said ties, it will, of course, be understood that the jointvmay be arranged on the cross ties with the joint directly over any particular cross tie, if desired. By such a construction, not only is a practically continuous rail produced and pounding and hammering on the rail ends reduced to a minimum, but the cost of installati'on and maintenance is also reduced. to a minimum.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. A rail joint including mating rails each l having the opposite sides of its head cutaway to form reduced extensions of the same width as the webs of the rails, the inner ends of said rails being solid and the faces thereof extended upwardly in a straight line from the bases of the "rails to the upper longitudinal edges of the extensions, there being shoulders formed at the junction of the heads with the extensions and curved portions formed at the junction of the vertical faces of the rails with thev upper longitudinal edges of the extensions, a chair spanning and junction of the rails and provided with spaced upstandng side pieces fitting within the cut-away portions of the rails and bearing against the reduced extensions thereof, one of said side pieces being detachably secured to the base of the chair and the opposite ends of both side pieces conforming to and adapted to bear against the shoulders of the rails, and fastening devices extending through the extensions and the side pieces of the chair.

2. The combination with spaced cross ties having seating recesses formed in the upper faces thereof, of a chair seated in said recesses and provided with spaced upstanding side pieces, one of which is formed integral with the base of the chair and the other detachably secured thereto, rail sections seated within the chair and each having the oppo- 'site sides of its head cut-away to form a reduced extension adapted to bear against` the adjacentside pieces of the chair, fastening devices extending through the reduced extensions and side pieces of the chair, and fastening devices engaging the ties and bearing against the lower portions of the side pieces for securing `the chair in position on the cross ties.

3. The combination with spaced cross ties having seating recesses formed in the upper faces thereof, of a chair seated in said recesses and provided with spaced upstanding side pieces one of which is formed integral with the base of the chair and the other provided at its lower portion with a depending longitudinally disposed lip, the

`lower face of which rests on the base of the chair and the outer edge thereof, against the adjacent wall of the recess, rail sections seated within the chair and each having the opposite sides of its head cut-away to form a reduced extension adapted to bear against the adjacent side pieces of the chair, fastening `devices extending through the side pieces and the extensions of the rails, and

JOHN G. BALING. [ns] Witnesses:

J. D. YOAKLEY, SAMUEL N. Ammin.

Copies e! thilpetent may be obtained for ive uente eaehfby mddrenilg the Commissioner of Patenti, Wallington, 2D. C." 

